Two senior journalists — Anand Pandey, Editor-in-Chief of The Sootr, and Harish Divekar, Managing Editor — were detained by Rajasthan Police in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Authorities allege the duo published defamatory reports about Deputy CM Diya Kumari and demanded ₹5 crore to withdraw the stories and halt a so-called “Destroy Diya” campaign.

In response, The Sootr termed the arrests “shocking and unlawful,” calling it an attempt to silence critical journalism.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act.

Where should the line be drawn between accountability in journalism and the misuse of law to curb press freedom?

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